


To Lighten her Crown

by Naelhinn



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Comfort, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27043384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naelhinn/pseuds/Naelhinn
Summary: When the war comes to a stalemate, anguish and doubts seize Edelgard. But Ingrid comes to comfort her when she needs it most.
Relationships: Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Kudos: 27





	To Lighten her Crown

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm taking part to the Ingrid Rarepair Week :D  
> I wanted to try and write something for each day but I just couldn't figure out what to write for the first day so I'm passing this one. The prompt for Day 2 was "Dream/Treason". Not sure I really sticked to the prompt but I really wanted to start with an Edelgrid and this one kinda wrote itself because I like soft dumb stuff.  
> I hope you'll like it!

Were they real? Echoes of steps taunted her sleepless mind as dawn casted its first lights through the window. They had been haunting her for weeks; sneaking up on her, ambushing her in corridors, finding their way in her dreams; restless ghosts she couldn’t ignore. Light and regular steps that ticked and ticked in her back, maddening metronome that reached her tips. No matter where she turned or how she buried her head under pillows and crown, they ticked and ticked and made her sick.  
A faint smile covered Edelgard lips. 

“You should have announced yourself.”

Silence fell. It didn’t take long for the steps to resume, soon followed by a soft thump. She shivered when the cold hands of her knight and lover started rubbing on her shoulders and neck, sending waves of relief through her body. A slight irregularity in the steps, followed by a subtle scent and an overwhelming feeling that it was real. That for once, she wouldn’t wake up to a sneering absence. 

“I thought you would be asleep.”

Her voice. She had missed her voice maybe more than anything else. Her muscles relaxed and she laid back into the arms of Ingrid. She closed her eyes and sank in soothing darkness, reassured by the cold hands that kept moving slowly, undeterred by the shivers they sent through her skin.  
Ingrid’s cold lips kissed her forehead and for a split second the chaos in her mind was blown away.

“You are cold.”

The lips didn’t leave her skin to answer her.

“I just came back. The night is cold, especially when you fly.”

Edelgard opened her eyes and sighed. Ingrid was right above her, a smile on her lips, her hair falling loosely, tickling the empress’s face like a swift dancing snow. She lifted her head a few inches up and kissed Ingrid. Her lips hadn’t warmed and were chapped from the weeks she had spent skirmishing in Faerghus, but they opened to Edelgard like flowers to dawn. The kiss was ephemeral, her head fell right back in her knight’s arms, but it lit both their faces with a simple and mundane bliss. Eventually, when the cloud that shrouded this moment in silence faded, Edelgard spoke again.

“I didn’t hear you call me majesty. Finally losing this bad habit of yours?”

She hoped to get her to laugh. It was rare for Ingrid to laugh, and the memories she had of it, she cherished above all. Although she got a smile out of it, the prized spell didn’t come out.  
Ingrid ran her fingers through the crownless white hair.

“Hubert told me you hadn’t been to the council for a week, and I inferred the crown weighed too heavy.”

Edelgard reached for Ingrid’s neck and pulled her closer, until their eyes could no longer meet. The last months had been tiresome, with the war slowly losing its momentum and the forces getting more entangled in the conflict. Each day had brought its bloody part to the already heavy toll, and there was no sign of rapid victory.  
Each day was another stroll in this shadow muddied swamp. Each day spent in war was more victims and horror. Each day spent in war wore her down. Each day was a dark cloud stacking up in the bright sky she dreamt of.  
And each day - could she forgive her own selfishness? - was one less of the few she could live to its fullest before her impending death.

“I am lucky to have you Ingrid.”

She could feel the breath of the knight against her skin and inhaled deeply. She was there. Not gone, back to her homeland, filled with hatred and disgust. She was there. How long would she stay? How long would she warp her ideals for her? And what could she possibly offer in return? There was nothing. Deep in her stomach, it stabbed her again, and again, and again. What had she done to deserve her, when she was ready to cut all ties with her at the Mausoleum? The thought had often crossed her mind; but she had never told her anything.  
She enjoyed the presence of the knight in silence, delighted to allow a few seconds of selfish pleasure as Ingrid rested her head against her chest. Edelgard moved one hand into the mess that was Ingrid’s hair. She stroked it slowly as the whole world around her seemed to freeze in a warm fog.

“- You should let me do it sometime Ingrid.”  
\- What?”

Edelgard fiddled amongst the uncared for golden hair. They had seen better days and were shorter than when she had left Enbarr. 

“Your hair. I couldn’t possibly make it worse.”

Ingrid grabbed the hand that was dancing on her head. She twirled her fingers around Edelgard’s and sat back up on the bed. 

“I can’t be wasting your time for something so mundane.”

Edelgard tried to get up as well but fatigue was overwhelming her. As she began to fall asleep, her lips opened and words tried to escape, but were met with Ingrid’s mouth. The empress gladly took the kiss and closed her eyes.  
She dreamt of the mundane. She dreamt of wasting time with her.


End file.
